Love and Whiskers

by Olivia Myers

  Elle tapped her fingers impatiently as the man poured her coffee. She glanced at the readout of her phone - a sleek device that also doubled as credit card and ID - and sighed. She probably shouldn’t have stopped for a cappuccino; she really didn’t have the time. Her lunch break was almost over, and even though she was the boss, it would suck to be late. Annie was a good employee, but she tended to complain a lot, and Elle didn’t want to spend the next four hours listening to her whine about how unfair it was that Elle got an hour for lunch, when she, Annie, only got forty-five minutes. The man turned around finally, and placed a lid on the steaming drink. He handed it to her, an automatic smile appearing on his face.

  “Here you go, ma’am,” he said. “How will you be paying?” Elle was surprised that he even asked, because almost no one used cash any more. Her eyes flashed to the sign on the counter: Hello, my name is Barry, AI, ask me about our special deals! The “AI” stood for “Artificial Intelligence,” and Barry had all of the signs of being an older model. With the new ones, you could hardly tell. Elle had heard that they had even started using real, lab-grown skin instead of the synthetic rubbery stuff that Barry had on. He probably hadn’t been updated in a while; small shops like this usually couldn’t afford to stay cutting edge. Barry probably worked for a fraction of what a human employee’s wages would cost, and she doubted it mattered to the owners of the store if he made a few errors every now and then.

  “Card,” she said, holding out her phone. Barry took it and waved it in front of one of the infrared receptors on the counter. A small beep sounded, and he handed it back to her.

  “Have a nice day,” he said.

  Elle left, not bothering to respond. AIs weren’t human, after all. She could hardly be expected to treat them as such.

  She made it back just as the clock on her phone said it was one o’clock. The sweet scent of freshly cut flowers filled her lungs when she entered the store, and Elle breathed deeply, smiling. She had always loved flowers, and opening this flower shop had been a dream come true for her. The sign hanging over the building said Flowers for Yew, a name that most people thought was just a clever play on words, but for Elle, it was so much more. Yew had been her little sister’s name, and she had passed away when she was eight. Elle had been eleven at the time, and never quite got over it. This store was as much tribute to her sister as it was dream come true for Elle.

  Annie greeted her cheerily when she walked in. “It’s been busy,” she said. “We’ve sold out of the pastel bouquets. I’ll put some more together after I get back from lunch.” Elle watched at the young woman grabbed her phone and flounced out of the store. She shook her head, smiling to herself. Annie had been a lucky find. She loved designing new bouquets, and had a gift for knowing exactly what people wanted. Annie’s only real problem was that she tended to say whatever popped into her mind. She had given Elle some great insights on people, but often in front of the people themselves.

  Elle sat behind the desk, sipping her coffee and flipping through her phone. It was a Friday, and Flowers for Yew wasn’t open on the weekends, so she had the next two days free to do whatever she wanted. There were a few events going on at local restaurants and bars, but Elle was in the mood for something else. She didn’t want to spend the evening sitting at some sticky bar and sipping beer - she wanted to let loose and have fun.

  Elle was just about to close her phone’s browser when she saw an ad put out by a club called The Winking Lizard. Tonight there was going to be live techno music, and half-off drinks for women. It sounded good to Elle. She smiled and saved the address in her phone, then drank the last of her coffee and got up to start fixing some bouquets.

  *****

  Elle tossed the sleek black dress onto her bed, and then pressed the button in her closet that would make the shelves rotate until the underwear unit was in front of her. Her apartment was small but modern, with all of the comforts that the year 2250 could offer. Elle dug around in her drawer - she really needed to organize this thing again - until she found the lacy black thong and matching bra that she had been looking for. It felt nice to dress up; she should go out and do stuff like this more often. She wasn’t twenty anymore - she was old enough that she actually had to work to keep her social life going.

  After a quick shower, Elle dried her hair - the ion dryer she had only took about thirty seconds to dry even her thick hair - and put on her makeup. The foundation shifted colors like a chameleon to match her skin tone perfectly, and once it dried, it wouldn’t smear on anything. Eyeliner and mascara hadn’t really changed much since she was a teenager, but now they had tattoos that you could get in place of eyeliner, and they would change shade and color based on what you wanted for the day. She had been considering getting one, but wasn’t sure if it would really last as long as the company promised it would.

  Once she had gotten dressed, Elle grabbed a clutch - it was really only big enough for her phone and lipstick - and headed out. She called a taxi, which showed up in front of her apartment building only a few minutes later. There was no driver - these vehicles had a simple AI that let them drive on their own on low-use streets. Elle waved her bag around until the ID chip in her phone registered with the car, and then she slid into the front seat. She put the car in gear and headed out. It was still illegal for a car to drive itself on most roads, and Elle enjoyed driving anyway. She, like most people who lived in the city, didn’t own her own car, but rather drove these self-service taxis when the need arose. She’d probably have to take the monorail back home; the taxi wouldn’t let her drive if her phone’s receipt history showed recent purchases at a bar, pub, or club.

  The trip to the club was a short one, and Elle parked the taxi out front. Someone else would take it when they needed it, and she didn’t have to worry about paying any parking fees. Even standing on the sidewalk, she could hear the pounding music. This would be fun. She walked up to the club doors, staring for a moment at the one-eyed lizard on the sign, then handed her phone to the bouncer, who checked her ID and then handed it back to her.

  “Have a good evening,” he said, opening one of the doors and gesturing her inside.

  The music was loud and rhythmic, pulsating around her. Elle sat back in her seat, laughing. She had run into one of her friends, Marianne. They weren’t good friends, more like acquaintances really, but Marianne was fun to drink with. Elle watched now as Marianne danced with two guys, flirting shamelessly with both.

  Someone sat next to her at the bar, and Elle looked over out of reflex. She did a double take when she saw the man who had seated himself next to her. He was tall, with dark, almost black hair, and a clean-shaven face. His features were perfect, and Elle felt her heart begin to pound. He was gorgeous. His clothes were all black, and seemed nicely made, and his dark blue eyes were intelligent.

  The man ordered a shot of whisky and then glanced over, meeting Elle’s eyes with his blue ones. A jolt of electricity went through her, and the man seemed to feel the same thing. He didn’t take his gaze off her as the bartender got his drink. Once the glass was in front of him, he threw the whiskey back in one smooth motion. When he was done, he turned towards Elle.

  “Drake,” he said, holding out his hand.

  “Elle,” she replied, she grasped his hand, expecting them to shake, but instead he lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them. His lips were warm. Elle felt herself shiver as heat washed through her.

  “Would you like to dance?” Drake asked.

  “Definitely,” Elle replied.

  He kept hold of her hand as they got up and he led the way onto the dance floor. Elle saw Marianne glance over at her and raise her eyebrows. She returned Marianne’s look with a grin. A new song started, and Drake tugged her closer to him. She leaned back against him and moved with the beat of the music, enjoying her night out far more than she would have expected.

  They danced together for an hour, with only a couple of breaks to rehydrate. Elle was really enjoying spending time with D
rake. They seemed to have an immediate connection. Their conversation was choppy and limited, due to the volume of the music, but she did manage to tell him about her flower shop and some of her hopes for the future of the business. He didn’t really talk much about himself, but she was okay with that.

  They were on the dance floor. Elle didn’t even remember which song they were on now, when Drake tilted her head back and kissed her. It was electric, thrilling. Energy and desire burst through Elle’s body. She pressed against him, wanting more. He responded by entangling his fingers in her hair and kissing her harder. Elle hadn’t felt this attracted to someone in a long time. She was surprised by how much she wanted this man. “Do you want to come back to my place?” she whispered to him when they came up for air. The music pulsed around them, matching the racing beat of Elle’s heart.

  “Yes.” Drake said, gently brushing a strand of Elle’s hair back. “I definitely do.”

  Drake drove, his car sleek and black, a model that Elle didn’t recognize. He was an attentive driver, keeping his eyes fixed on the road, and making minuscule adjustments constantly. Elle took the time to gaze at him, memorizing his face, and the way his muscles rippled smoothly under his skin. He was gorgeous. When they got to her apartment, she gave Drake a quick tour. They walked out on the balcony together, gazing down at the city. Drake walked up behind her and wrapped his big, strong arms around her, then kissed her neck. Shivers ran down Elle’s spine, and she felt her womanhood tingle. She hadn’t been this aroused in a long time.

  She led Drake to her bedroom, shutting the door behind them. She pressed a button on the wall, and the blinds hummed shut, shutting out the lights of the city, and the room’s lighting dimmed. Then Elle turned to Drake, and he caught her up in another kiss. With their lips together, she moved her hands to his belt and began to undo it, and then tugged at the zipper. When his pants were unzipped, she left them fall to the floor. He stepped out of them without missing a beat. His hands were on her thighs, his fingers digging into the meat of her legs. One of them slid up under the thin fabric of her dress, and Elle moaned as he traced the edge of her lace panties with one of his fingers.

  She gripped the fabric of his shirt and began tugging it up. He stopped kissing her long enough to duck out of the shirt and cast it to the floor, and then he pressed his mouth against hers again. Elle stepped backwards, guiding him towards the bed. She felt the soft fabric of her comforter against the backs of her legs, and slowly sat down in the edge of the mattress. Drake bore her backwards, settling his heavy weight on top of her. With one knee, he gently prodded her legs apart. She felt the iron hardness of his cock pressing against her through the fabric of her underwear.

  Drake paused to strip off his underwear, freeing his member. Elle’s dress was riding up around her hips now, and it was easy for Drake to peel down her black underwear. They ended up crumpled on the floor with the other clothes that they had tossed away. Drake looked at her for a second, his expression soft and unreadable. Elle saw his cock, erect and throbbing, and she made a small sound, feeling an unbelievable need to have it penetrate her. He seemed to understand this, and responded by moving forward, letting his cock rest at the entrance to her pussy. His eyes met hers and held her gaze as he slowly thrust forward, easing his cock inside of her.

  Elle gasped as he filled her. He was big, bigger than she’d had before, and it felt amazing. He continued the slow motion until he was completely buried inside her, and then pulled back out, just as slowly. Elle writhed beneath him, torn between pleasure and frustration at the teasing that he was putting her through. Drake remained poised at her entrance a second time, and began nibbling on her neck, making Elle dig her fingers into his arms and she moaned. “I need you,” she begged. “Fuck me.”

  He obeyed, thrusting into her with surprising force, making her gasp. She wrapped her legs around him as he pounded into her. Suddenly the pleasure between her legs became almost overwhelming, flooding her body, and she arched her back, crying out. Drake thrust once, twice more, and then closed his eyes. And pressed his forehead to hers.

  “Wow,” Elle whispered. Drake nodded in agreement. He rolled off her, the bed creaking beneath their combined weight.

  “Thanks for having me over,” Drake said after a moment, when Elle’s breathing had slowed down. She grinned at him.

  “I should be thanking you,” she said.

  He stayed for another hour, showering with her and talking as she made coffee. He waved it off when she offered him some.

  “Too much caffeine before bed gives me weird dreams,” he told her. He watched carefully as she yawned. “It’s late anyway,” he said. “I should get going.”

  “All right,” Elle said, slightly disappointed that he wasn’t spending the night. “Will I see you again?”

  “Definitely,” Drake said with a grin.

  *****

  At home, Drake sat down at his computer. Most people had a simple screen that was hooked up to the house’s brain, but Drake had a special terminal, one that would fulfill special needs. He was tired; he would need to recharge soon, or go grab a temporary energy boost out of the fridge if he wanted to stay up later. He had enough energy left to finish the transfer, though.

  He glanced over at the woman slouched in the chair next to him. She was pretty, with light brown hair and green eyes, and a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. A thick cable came out of the base of her skull; the other end of it was plugged into his computer.

  She was, in effect, Drake’s other half. He was preparing to transfer himself into her, switching bodies - both the male and the female body he owned were elegant and about as lifelike as something artificial could get. He had paid a pretty penny for both of them, plus the dog body that was waiting in his closet. He didn’t use the dog one much, but it was nice to have a way to escape from everyone else’s expectations and just have fun. Dogs were great at having fun.

  He was also saving up for a bird body, but that would take him a while. Artificial birds were worth a serious chunk of money, even the primitive ones that used jets. And he wanted one of the new ones that were nearly indistinguishable from real birds.

  He shook his head, realizing that he had gotten distracted - a sign of just how low on energy he was. He grinned to himself as he remembered exactly what had drained him so much - Elle. She was a wonderful woman. He found himself wishing that he had told her what he was from the beginning, but also knew that he was probably smart not to. Most humans didn’t think of AIs as real, and Drake didn’t want to risk scaring her off before she had a chance to get to know him.

  Drake took a second cable and plugged it in to the base of his own skull, after pulling back a thin flap of skin. The skin was real, fed by bioagents that were circulated by the machine that acted as his heart. He was always careful not to get scraped or cut in front of strangers - even though his skin was real, it was just a thin layer over his metal frame, and it didn’t bleed quite the right shade of red.

  Closing his eyes, Drake concentrated. He could feel the transfer starting, and everything seemed to be going well. He relaxed. He’d see Elle again in a couple days, and for now he was going to transfer, recharge, and hopefully spend some time replaying the memories that he’d recorded during the evening.

  *****

  Monday morning, Elle woke up late. Annie was opening the flower shop today, so Elle had a few extra hours in which to run errands or wander through the city. After making coffee and showering, she decided to go shopping. Some local stores were having good sales today, plus it had been a while since she’d been downtown proper. She grabbed her purse and shot one last look at herself in the mirror. She was wearing jeans that clung to her and a low-cut crimson sweater. The weather was cooler today, and she enjoyed bringing out the fall clothes. Her boots were really what brought the outfit together, though. They were almost knee-high, leather, and the exact same shade of red as her sweater. She smiled at her reflection and shut off the light. She had
a feeling it would be a good day.

  She took the monorail downtown, feeling too contemplative to want to drive a taxi. Drake hadn’t called her yet, which was disappointing. She was perfectly fine with having casual sex, but she had thought there’d been a deeper connection between them. Maybe he would call today. She glanced at her phone, and then shook her head. She was being ridiculous. She hadn’t felt so needy since she was a teenager. What she really needed was to find someone else to distract her.

  The bookstore was quiet. It was one of the few places in the city that still sold actual, paper books, and Elle loved it.

  The clerk greeted her quietly, and then turned her attention back to the novel she was reading. Elle walked around, going through each aisle and trailing her fingers across the spines of the books. She stopped in the romance section, which was near the back of the store, and crouched down to see if her favorite author had released anything new yet. She hadn’t, and Elle straightened up with a sigh. With some surprise, she saw that another woman had entered the book store, and was slowly browsing down the aisles towards her. She hadn’t heard the woman come in. Elle found herself inexplicably attracted to the woman, who had long, light brown hair which complemented her green eyes nicely. She was lean, and moved gracefully. Elle thought that she was probably a dancer or athlete of some sort - she moved with the sort of physical self-confidence that dancers usually seemed to possess.

  The woman noticed Elle watching her, and paused in her movement, glancing up at Elle and giving her the full force of her stare. Elle felt a jolt, as if she had unexpectedly run into an old friend, but she didn’t know this woman. Or did she? For a moment, she thought that there was something familiar about those eyes, but then she shook off the feeling. She really didn’t recognize the woman, but there was no denying an instant attraction.

  The woman seemed to feel something too, because she held Elle’s gaze as she approached. Elle bit her lip, confused by the feelings of arousal stirring in her. First she had met Drake, and now this? It seemed like her dry spell had ended with a bang.